Fate of 11 expelled MPs to be decided tomorow

The MPs were expelled following an expose showing them allegedly accepting bribes, reports Satya Prakash.

The Supreme Court will on Wednesday pronounce its verdict on the petitions filed by 11 MPs challenging their expulsion from Parliament in December 2005 in the wake of ‘cash for query’ scam.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India YK Sabharwal will decide the extent of Parliament’s power to take action against its members guilty of misconduct.

It would adjudicate whether Parliament could expel erring MPs leading to termination of their membership, particularly in the absence of any express provision to this effect in the Constitution.

The bench, which had sought to know the about money paid by a TV channel to journalist Anirudh Bahal, who ‘exposed’ the MPs, was also expected to issue some guidelines on sting operations.

Other members on the bench are Justices KG Balakrishnan, CK Thakker, RV Raveendran and DK Jain.

The matter was heard at length for 12 days in September last during which senior counsel Ram Jethmalani and PN Lekhi advanced arguments on behalf of petitioners MPs against their expulsion while the Centre and Attorney General Milon K Banerjee justified it. Lekhi had contended that the sting operation was not an act in public interest.

Eleven MPs, including one from Rajya Sabha, were expelled from Parliament in December last year after a private TV channel showed them demanding/accepting money for raising questions in the House.